Return of the Dragon
by johnleemcmullen
Summary: The Fire Nation learns of a powerful artifact from A heroic Z fighter.


AVATAR Z

Zuko strolled through the fire nation imperial palace courtyard in a fowl mood. He just had o sign away 2000 acres of fire nation colonies to the Earth King as a part of a disarmament treaty. The armistice initially stated that all fire nation colonial citizens were to be deported. After extensive peace talks the fire lord was able to bargain for 2/3rds of the colonial cities, but he lost all of the farmland, and 20 million Gold pieces. He also lost all control of the outward military bases, he also began construction on the walls of Ba-Sing-Se with fire nation imperial funding. It seemed to Zuko all he did was spend money on that useless slow minded earth king, and bent over backwards for is conniving ambassadors.

He needed a break he decided, a week on ember island with Azula. He sighed and walked to ambassador Kuzon's office.

 **enter Zuko to office**

"hello Kuz, I've decided to go on a short respite on ember island, stall the earth kingdom ambassadors until I get back, and send a hawk to Ba-Sing-Se to let them know I won't be here in person, and another to my uncle," he said

"very well sir I humbly await your return,"

said ambassador Kuzon with a smile.

"bye bye now!" he said as he left.

He took a palanquin to the Azula's isolated quarters , Azula had been very well behaved in the past 3 months and he felt she deserved to be taken back to the place of their childhood.

 **enter Zuko to the sitting room where he sees Azula**

"hello sister,"

he said in a friendly way.

"hello again brother, nice to see you so soon, its only been a few days,"

she laughed

Zuko smiled

"well today is your lucky day Azula, You and I are going to Ember Island on the first ship tomorrow morning,"

 **Azula gasps in surprise and joy**

"thanks so much ZuZu! Wow I can't wait, let me go gather my things!"

 **Azula jumped up out of her chair and ran back to her room**

Zuko laughed and went back to the palace where he knew Dinner was waiting for him.

 **cut to the next day at the docks**

Zuko stood leaning on a pylon waiting for the captain, he was very casually dressed, Zuko liked to think it made him appear more accessible to his citizens.

 **enter Azula to the pier**

"ZuZu! I'm so excited for this trip! Been too long! It's been too long since both of us visited Ember Island together, too bad Tai Li couldn't come this time, I guess she has her hands tied by those Earth kingdom Bureaucrats, well shall we be off brother?"

she said enthusiastically.

In the background the captain roared to signal for the passengers to come aboard the catamaran.

 **cut to the ship at sea**

Zuko stares out at the open tropical ocean, thinking back on all the times he had taken this same trip with his mother and father, he wondered what had gone wrong to cause his father to become what he did. He decided to be a better Father than his was, to be like his uncle Iroh. He shook his head and looked back over the sea, trying to focus on other things when something caught his eye. A yellow blur streaking across the sky. Zuko squinted trying to make it out better over the shining ocean. But it disappeared before he could see it clearly, he let this sighting stick to the back of his mind as the ship sailed on, he assumed it was important but refrained from telling anyone about it, he didn't want to upset them and have it be nothing.

 **the ship arrives at the ember island pier**

Lo and Li were there to greet them as usual, after taking them to their room at the hotel the three of them headed to the boardwalk on the west shore, they stopped to get some ice cream Azula got Mango Pepper, and Zuko got Vanilla, as they walked and talked down the beach out of the corner of Zuko's eye he saw the yellow streak again, but he ignored it this time to spend time with his sister and girlfriend.

 **cut to that night**

it was 2:00 am, Zuko woke up in bed with a cold sweat with a very dry throat so he went out on the balcony where there was a jug of water waiting for him,as he sat and drank he gazed out on the midnight sea, thinking of the harmony between the elements could create such beauty. Then, suddenly, the yellow streak appeared once more. It screamed through the sky coming to ground in the jungle behind the old Ozai estate, Zuko leapt out of his chair and vaulted the railing of his balcony and set off sprinting towards where the cloud landed. He really hustled and got to the smoking scene in under a minute.

He said nothing in case what had fallen was dangerous, he let off a small spurt of flame to clear the steam, and saw the shadow of a figure in the smoke.

Suddenly a blast of energy spiraled away from the smoking silhouette, clearing the steam and revealing himself. A tall smiling figure, wearing orange and blue, tail wrapped around his waist. His back was turned to Zuko, he hadn't noticed him yet. Zuko himself was astounded, how could this man have flown here on a cloud he thought? Was he an air bender? What else could he do? All these thoughts raced through his mind as he called out;

"you are now on Fire Nation soil and my law requires you to state your name and intention!"

the figure jumped and turned around slowly, in a very childish way.

"ah you caught me! I'm SonGoku! Who are you?

He said positively.

Zuko was shocked, he could sense a great power within him but his upbeat attitude was off putting.

"what are you doing in my country!"

he said with a flare, some fire shooting out of his nostrils.

"I'm looking for a dragon ball! That's an orange ball with a couple red stars on it, about this big,"

he said with a grin, holding his hands a foot apart.

"Why do you think that it's here!? Ga, just come with me,"

he said as he started to walk away, Goku walked after him unsure what was going on.

 **back at the hotel**

"What do you want this 'dragon ball' for?"

asked Azula.

"Well if you gather 7 of them you can summon a magic dragon called Shen-Long, he grants any wish, but the dragon balls only reappear every 6 months,"

he said with an awkward smile. Zuko was shocked with this.

"The Dragons all died 100 years ago, this can't be real,"

he said angrily.

"maybe this could work for us, he said they only appear after 6 months, that means he's used them before right?"

Azula said shrewdly.

"Yes that's right, they are extremely powerful. My friends have even used them to bring me back to life after I was killed,"

after hearing this they both stepped back shocked, a million possibilities raced through their minds. Azula and Zuko looked at each other and shared a thought, a siblings understanding.

"you said you need 7 right? How many do you have?"

Azula spoke slowly, curiously.

"The one I'm looking for now is the last one, I usually just get all 7 in case I need them and to keep them out of evil hands, another thing, there is a mystical mantra you have to speak to make him appear,"

he said, oblivious to the plotting they were doing.

"what is the incantation?"  
asked Azula.

" "

said Goku proudly for having memorized it.

"If we help you find this dragon ball will you show us how to summon Shen-Long?'

Asked Zuko.

"Yea sure, wish away, I was only getting them just in case, do you know where the last one is?"

he said in a friendly way.

"I think I might..."

 **Cut to the royal manor on ember island**

A cloud of dust burst into the air when the large double doors swung open forcefully, the light of the moon shone through the door way painting 3 silhouettes against the hardwood floor. Zuko noticed this and noticed just how ridiculous this Stranger's hair was, giving him further doubt that these dragon balls existed and did the things he said they did, Zuko himself had seen his fair share of the supernatural and wouldn't count out the existence of a wish granting dragon, but he was still doubtful.

"I remember seeing the artifact in my childhood, after Father, Mother, You, and I spent a holiday here when I was 4 or 5, we spent the day on the beach building sandcastles and watching Father fire bend, you tried to bend but you couldn't at the age of 7. you got frustrated and Father made us go back to the Manor. I wandered into the basement looking for Mother but I found a lot of old trunks of things, dusty paintings and chests.

There was one in particular that I Saw with a carved orange dragon on the motif. I infer that that will be where it will be,"

said Azula as they walked through the vast estate. As she finished her words they arrived in the basement where the chest she mentioned was to be. They saw it immediately, a massive ash wood chest with brass finishes on the corners and vertices. A bronze dragon curled into the shape of a lock, coiled into an angry pose, it had orange opals set in the eyes and around its body. It was a fire bending lock designed by the fire sages. Azula walked up to the chest.

"This is it,"

she said with a smile.

"ZuZu, will you do the honors?"

she said happily. She was clearing having a good time on this adventure.

"sure yea, thanks,"

he said as he squatted down and put his hand up to the dragon's mouth, he sent a short blast of flames into it. The dragon uncoiled and the chest swung open, revealing a red silk pillow with the dragon ball resting on it. Azula and Zuko were both in awe of the shining golden orb. Five red stars blazing on It's surface, radiating mystic energy.

Azula approached and lifted it between both hands, looking at it at arms left. She looked at Zuko with a wide grin, which Zuko returned.

"That's what I'm talkin' 'bout! That's a dragon ball alright!"

he said smiling. Zuko and Azula both's minds were racing on all the wishes they could now come true.

 _End of Chapter One_


End file.
